Best For You
by reindeerface
Summary: Laxus Dreyar knows what it's like to live with mistakes. Lucy Heartfilia understands what it's like to be lonely. Maybe it only takes one decision to change not one, but two, lives forever.
1. Siting

**A/N: **Oh, boy. It has been literally one thousand years since my first foray into writing fanfic. I had such an overwhelming response to Hear Me, despite it being an overall weird concept and so-so writing. Even through that time, however, I have always loved the idea of Laxus and Lucy together. I am always intrigued as a writer when there are characters that have hidden depths or when there is an opportunity where I can maybe add a more realistic edge to how a character would behave. That is definitely what inspired this story. Too often, Laxus gets written off as this macho asshole guy, which he definitely is, but he is also so much more than that. I have always viewed he and Lucy as two sides of the same coin. Laxus as having coped through his situation by shutting down and Lucy having coped by reaching out. I believe that that shared background would have easily led these two into a profound friendship if they had ever been given the chance. This is that story.

**Part I: Siting**

In the year that Lucy Heartfilia had spent with Fairy Tail, she couldn't remember ever witnessing a party this large. Or this loud. The music pounded through the sound lacrima levitating in the corners of the main hall so loudly she could scarcely hear herself think, much less talk. She'd arrived fashionably late, but the party was already in full swing, packed wall to wall with her tipsy, ecstatic guild mates.

Not that it wasn't warranted. The Grand Magic Games had been a roller coaster for everyone, and the fact that they'd managed to pull off a win after their terrible start—that she was still bitter about—was amazing. Saving Earthland from a dragon invasion was also nothing to sneeze at. Therefore, she navigated through the bodies swaying to the beat on the cleared main floor to the bar with a smile on her face.

Mira was busy at work, buzzing from one end of the bar to the other as she catered to the orders of the regulars, their guests, and the many new recruits. Kinana hovered close by, laden with drink glasses of varying sizes and shapes. Not wanting to disturb them, she smiled and waved as she clambered onto a stool at the end of the bar. As she waited for Mira to be free, she scanned the guild hall, trying to find her friends in the dimly lit, crowded room.

Natsu wasn't hard to find. His ostentatious pink hair stood out even in the hazy light, but that wasn't what drew her eye. Witnessing his strange, gesticulating dance style, it was no surprise that his fellow partygoers gave him a wide birth. She winced, imagining being hit full force with a flailing arm. It'd happened far too often for her to want to approach him any time soon.

Erza was next, and when Lucy's eyes landed on her friend, she laughed out loud. Despite the heavy bass of the music, Erza was busy twirling a dark-haired dance partner in a corner in an overexcited parody of the tango. Lucy pitied her captive, and when the man came to a brief stop, she burst out laughing again, realizing that it was a very nauseous-looking Gray.

Shaking her head, she moved on. Better Gray than her. She spotted Wendy at the tables, which had been pushed to the far edges of the room to make more room for dancing. Surrounded by the Exceeds, Wendy sat eating some of the snack foods laid in large glass bowls, though at least two of them had already been smashed.

To Lucy's surprise, she found Levy dancing with Gajeel, the two pressed so closely together that she didn't think a piece of parchment would fit between them. She blushed as she watched them move to the beat of the music, not sure if this was something she should be witnessing or not. When Gajeel leaned down to mouth at Levy's neck, she squeaked and turned around. She loved Levy, but what she did on her own time—with Gajeel, no less—wasn't something she wanted to think about.

She shut her eyes and shook herself, trying to get the disturbing images that train of thought inspired.

"What's got your panties in a bunch?" A slurred voice from behind her yelled over the music.

Whipping around, Lucy smiled.

"Hey, Cana," she answered back. "Nothing, just saw something just now." The screaming would get old after a while, Lucy thought. She cleared her throat, hoping that she wouldn't lose her voice come morning.

"Poor Lucy," Cana laughed. "You've got to be corrupted someday. No time like the present."

Lucy scoffed.

"Who's going to corrupt Lucy?"

Lucy smiled as she turned to look at Mira.

"Hey Mira! What's up?"

Mira shrugged and smiled, then walked around the employee entrance to sit on the empty stool next to Lucy. "Not much. Kina just agreed to cover me for a few minutes so I could catch a break. I've been on my feet all day. But I'm more interested in how Lucy is getting corrupted, but don't let Erza hear that," she said, giggling behind her hand.

"No one's getting corrupted." Lucy held up her hands. "Cana's just being herself."

Cana sighed, dramatically clapping a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "I just worry about you. You're what, 18? And the closest thing you've ever had to a real boyfriend is _that_," she pointed to Natsu in his seizure-like glory and winced, "crawling into your bed and eating your food."

Lucy hung her head as Mira laughed from beside her. "While that may be true," she said, "that doesn't mean I should go and 'corrupt myself'. Whatever that means."

"It means you should go get some di—" Cana began before Mira leaned over and clamped a hand over her mouth.

"What Cana means is that we just want you to enjoy yourself. You won't be young forever. Take it from someone who wasted her youth behind the bar," she nodded sagely, closing her eyes in a serene smile.

Lucy's mouth dropped open, a shrill laugh escaping. "You are so full of it! You're only two years older than me. And you could have your pick of any man here."

"Shh," Mira said, her eyes still closed. "Heed the advice of your elders."

Lucy could only stare incredulously at her, the deafening music punctuating the lull in conversation. After several seconds, Mira's façade cracked, and she dissolved into a fit of giggled once more, dropping her hand from Cana's mouth as the other woman began laughing as well.

"We just want you to be happy," Mira continued after she got a hold of herself. "And you're always so together. That's a good thing, but just don't forget to have fun, too."

Lucy smiled, touched. "Thanks, guys, but I have plenty of fun. I love it here, and I love going on jobs and feeling like I'm actually doing something worthwhile with my life. I don't feel like I'm missing anything," she said. "But if I ever do, you guys will be the first to know."

"Awh, Lucy!" Cana shouted. "Come here." Lucy had to brace herself as she was pulled into her friend's tipsy embrace. Even still, Cana pulled her halfway out of her seat, and the two swayed precariously as they hugged.

"Gettin' real cozy with my girl there, Cosplayer," a taunting voice said over the music.

"Shut up, Bickslow," Lucy mumbled from Cana's embrace.

Struggling out of the hold, she scrambled back onto her perch. Cana stumbled backwards, only to be caught by a grinning Bickslow.

"Hey, babe!" She called, as if she hadn't heard him approach. He just smiled wider, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He'd forgone the helmet for the occasion, and he looked at Cana with intense red eyes.

"We were just telling Lucy that she should loosen up," Cana said, leaning further into Bickslow. He slung an arm around her shoulders, his hand idly tangling in her long, brown hair.

"Sounds like the Boss Man," he sniggered, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "Couldn't get him to come down and mingle to save my life. Such a buzzkill. I had to come down to get some air."

Cana elbowed him. "And see you, of course," he amended.

"Is Laxus being a hermit again?" Mira asked.

Bickslow nodded. "Big time. Barely said two words all night. Well, actually he said exactly two. I got a pretty firm 'fuck you' when I told him he could unclench and slide the stick out of his ass."

Lucy gasped, not able to imagine anyone talking to Laxus that way and still being able to eat solid food afterwards.

"Point is, Lucy," he said, and she was struck by his use of her proper name, "don't be like him. Cut loose, yeah? It's party time." He punctuated the thought by sticking his tongue out and winking.

"And on that note, I'm gonna take my hot date for a spin on the dance floor," he said, smiling down at Cana. "What do you say, babe?"

She grinned back, sliding out of his hold and pulling him toward the crowd.

"Don't wait up, girls!" She cackled, disappearing into the mass of bodies. Only Bickslow's head remained visible, his blue mohawk standing above the crowd.

Lucy shook her head, smiling. It was nice to see Cana happy, even if it was with someone as strange as Bickslow. Though, if she thought about it, his particular mix of crudeness and spontaneity suited her just fine. In any case, her friend deserved it.

"Do you think we'll see her again tonight?" Mira asked.

"Not a chance," Lucy laughed.

"Poor Laxus. He'll probably be up there all alone the rest of the night."

Lucy dragged her eyes from the crowd—a table had just flown through the air, and frankly, she didn't want to witness the inevitable no-holds-barred bar fight that would inevitably ensue. "

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Mira rubbed her palms on the long fabric of her dress. "Not that it probably bothers him much, but Evergreen is spending the night with Elfman. He wouldn't stop grumbling about it all day. And I saw Freed leave about ten minutes before you got here. I think the crowd was too much for him," she said, grimacing.

Lucy nodded, looking out once more. Against her will, her eyes drifted to the railing of the second floor. Just as Bickslow said, Laxus was there, leaning against the railing, looking down on the crowd. Pursing her lips, she wondered what his problem was. He didn't seem angry, and his face held no hint of the sneer she remembered from her early days at the guild, when Laxus had a habit of playing the would-be Boy King, leering out over the guild with scowl on his face.

"He looks bored," she said. "Why doesn't he just come down?"

Mira shrugged. "My best guess is that he wouldn't know what to do even if he did."

Lucy's face screwed up in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I wasn't here for this, so I don't know if it's entirely true," Mira began. She paused, however, after she glanced up at Laxus. She leaned closer, as if the blaring music wouldn't be enough to mask her words from his heightened senses. "Master used to say that when Laxus was a kid, he was painfully shy and bad with people. I figured he grew out of that, all things considered. But since Gildarts reinstated him, I'm not so sure."

"So you're saying that _Laxus_," she said, her own voice dropping against her will, "Mr. I-can-take-out-whole-guilds-by-myself, the same guy that fought Jura Neekis and _won_, is socially awkward?" She couldn't reconcile that theory with her own memories of Laxus, both before and after his exile. Sure, he'd seemed a lot more even-keeled since returning, but she couldn't imagine that the reason for his aloofness was his inability to interact with other people.

"Like I said, it's just something I remember Master saying, but Master says a lot of things," she laughed. "But it does make a little bit of sense. He doesn't have many close friends. The Thunder Legion are really the only people he's ever spent any sort of time with. Most people are too intimidated to approach him, so I guess I do feel a little bad for him. It must get lonely at the top."

Before Lucy could respond, Kinana called from the other end of the bar.

Mira smiled apologetically. "That's my cue. I'll talk to you later, alright?" And with that, she was gone in a blur of pale hair, rushing back into the never-ending rotation of drink orders and too-friendly customers.

That left Lucy alone once more, but instead of joining the fray on the dance floor or hunting down some more conversation partners, she could only sneak glances of the second floor out of the corner of her eye and ruminate over what Mira had said.

She never imagined that she would ever relate to Laxus, of all people, but the thought wouldn't leave her head. Now that she thought about it, it was sad. Not that she wasn't thankful for Laxus's change in behavior, but it reminded her a little too much of her own childhood for comfort. She knew the pain of being isolated from the world around you by circumstances you couldn't control. It still hurt to think about her father from the old days, and how he kept her confined to the Konzern, away from the rest of the world. She'd have given anything for a friend, and if it hadn't been for Aquarius and Cancer, she might have turned out just as bitter and angry as Laxus had.

He must've been so lonely. First, he'd drowned in the shadow of a Wizard Saint grandfather, mocked by his father for his weakness. It didn't seem like strength had brought him any peace, though.

A pit curled its way into her stomach. She refused to pity him. The looks on her friend's faces when she came clean about her past would always be burned in her memory, and she wouldn't insult him by doing that. But still. As she looked at him, blankly observing the celebration, no hint of a smile on his face, she couldn't help but feel like she understood in that moment.

She drew in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of spilled alcohol and sweat that wafted through the air. The logical part of her brain was already scolding her for what she was about to do, for sticking her nose where it obviously didn't belong, but she was Lucy Heartfilia. She couldn't let this go in good conscience.

Almost without her permission, her legs carried her from her stool at the bar and across the dance floor, ignoring how moving arms and legs jostled her. Undeterred, she made her way to the foot of the staircase and, one by one, she climbed. It wasn't until she stood at the top that she realized that she had no idea what to do.

He hadn't moved since she last saw him. He leaned on the railing, elbows resting on the bannister. One of his hands propped up his head, and he looked just as impassive as she'd ever seen. The moonlight shining in from the windows highlighted the sharp planes of his face and leeched the color from his hair, and all thoughts of talking to him left her head as she stood speechless before him. It occurred to her that she'd never been this close to Laxus before, not counting the time Evergreen had turned her to stone. She'd only heard about that afterwards, and since she couldn't actually remember, she figured it didn't count. The thought of being any closer to him made her heart rattle against her ribcage.

At this point, she weighed her odds of sneaking back down the stairs unnoticed, but those plans went up in smoke when he turned to face her, and she gasped in surprise.

"Hey, Blondie," he murmured in a low voice, the bass of his voice cutting through the music seeping from downstairs. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard only confusion in his tone. She'd really rather not get fried.

Realizing that she hadn't responded to his greeting, she gathered herself.

"Hey," she said. Internally, she kicked herself. What was she thinking, coming up here without anything to actually say? She was the planner, the strategist. She was better than this, damn it.

Laxus straightened then, shuffling his weight from side to side as she continued to stare at him.

"Was there something you needed?" he asked, running a hand through his hair. "Ever and Bicks are downstairs and Freed already left."

She clasped her hands in front of her, feeling just as awkward as he looked in that moment. Mira was becoming more right every second, she thought idly. Though, to be fair, this was just as much her fault. More, even.

"Um, no, I didn't exactly need anything." Heat rose up her neck as she spoke, and she was happy for the low light. Maybe he wouldn't see the ugly splotches of red creeping up her face. He raised an eyebrow, and she kicked herself again. This wasn't going how she'd planned—or hadn't planned, rather.

"I actually wanted to see if…" she trailed off, wringing her fingers together, trying not to seem like a complete bobblehead. Frantically, her eyes scanned the room, trying to find a halfway acceptable excuse to be here. Taking in the writhing crowd, the song having changed to a slower, more methodic number, an idea barreled into her head. "To see if you wanted to dance." The words tumbled out before she had the chance to process them. To cover up her uncertainty, she plastered on her brightest smile.

He just looked at her, or rather _through _her. She tried her best to remain confident, but trying to keep Mira's words about his lack of social skills fresh in her mind. It was difficult, though, to bear the weight of his stare. Once again she was struck by the cognitive dissonance of such a powerful man being at all shy. After all, there was a reason people feared the name of Fairy Tail's most powerful dragon slayer. She remembered as well as anyone how easily he'd taken on Raven Tail. Something else about that niggled at her, but she let it go in favor of trying not to shrink under his gaze. His hulking frame didn't help her efforts to not be intimidated.

When Lucy feared she wouldn't be able to take the silence anymore, he frowned and broke eye contact, turning again to the crowd.

"Not sure Ash-for-Brains would be cool with that, and I don't feel like punching him through any walls tonight."

She looked at him, cocking her head to the side, wondering if he'd meant that as a joke.

"Huh? What does Natsu have to do with anything?"

He did that shuffling thing again, like he wasn't sure how to make his body fill the space given to it. Looking at her from the corner of a blue-gray eye, he shrugged his broad shoulders.

"Aren't you and him…" he gestured with his hands in front of him, the vague movements just confusing her more. "I don't know. A thing, or something?"

A flash of anger stabbed through her, unbidden. She tried to stamp down the annoyance and rolled her eyes instead.

"No, we're not a _thing_," she told him, making air quotes with her fingers before settling her hands on her hips, her earlier trepidation gone. "And even if we were, that doesn't give anyone a right to tell me who I can and can't dance with."

He held his hands up in surrender. "My bad."

She relaxed her posture. She supposed she couldn't blame him for assuming what most people did about her and Natsu, especially since he seemed to take her lecture with some semblance of grace. That gave her confidence and she smirked at him.

"So are you going to answer me or not?" she asked him, raised a golden eyebrow of her own.

"Answer you?"

"About that dance. Are you game?" she inclined her head, looking down the bride of her nose at him.

He laughed, a short, barking sound. "I don't really dance, Blondie."

Her eyes narrowed. It looked like she was going to have to pull out the big guns. Ignoring the little voice that questioned why she suddenly cared so much about dancing with a man she barely knew, she stepped closer. She hoped there was still enough competitive spirit left in him for her next move to work.

"What's the matter?" she asked, looking up at him from under her lashes. Sure, that move had never worked before, but there was no time like the present. "Is the great Laxus Dreyar scared?"

She smiled wider when she saw a vein in his neck twitch, but didn't say anything. For one wild moment, she wondered if he'd zap her like he so often did to Natsu. Her heart beat faster, but she pushed on.

"I thought you'd be up for a challenge," she said, coming to a stop a foot away from his frame. She hoped her taunting would be enough.

The quicksilver flashing of his eyes did not disappoint.

"Always," he grunted, pushing off the railing to lean over her.

Her surety faltered once again when she had to tilt her head back to look him in the face. He was huge. Even huger up close. She gulped, trying to do the mental gymnastics required to figure out just how they were supposed to dance together.

As her eyes widened in thought, Laxus chuckled and shrugged off his coat, throwing it so that it folded over the railing. With the majority of his muscular arms bared, she gulped.

"What's wrong, Blondie? Chickening out finally? I thought you'd be up to the challenge?" he teased, using her own words against her.

She clenched her fists.

"Always," she said to him in an even voice, and tried to ignore the fluttering of her heart when his stormy eyes widened.

Throwing caution to the wind, she grabbed one of his wrists and led him down the stairs to the crowded floor below.

It was amazing, Lucy thought, how the crowd seemed to part for Laxus. Rather than having to shuffle between bodies in a weird half-dance like she usually did, Lucy let him act as a human battering ram. She was so fascinated about how everyone automatically created a bubble of personal space for him that she didn't hear the beat of the music change. Instead of the even, thudding beat that had trickled upstairs, it was a slower, heavier bass that shook her bones. She flushed when she realized everyone around her was pairing off in groups, bodies pressing close together. Swallowing, she looked back to Laxus, who looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

After several seconds of letting the people around them move to the music, Lucy sighed and rocked back on her heels. "Um, sorry about this, I just—"

"Tch," he grunted, interrupting her incoming apology, "I thought you were the one that wanted to dance." He didn't wait for her reply, stepping closer and resting his hands on her hips, gently pulling her forward. She stumbled, but his grip steadied her. "So let's dance."

She gasped when he began to move, taking the lead as he moved them together to the beat. For such a large man, he moved fluidly, though she wasn't sure why she was surprised. After taking a second to recover from her shock, she moved with him.

They moved together, and soon her fears of their size difference being an obstacle evaporated. He kept his grip gentle, but firm, guiding her to the beat, something she hadn't expected.

"You're actually pretty good at this, Laxus," she said, smiling up at him while trying to distract herself from the warmth of his hands on her.

"Don't sound so surprised. I'm good at a lot of things," he grumbled. The sound vibrated through his chest and into hers as she pressed against him. She tried to stop the blush and failed miserably. She drew in a breath, maintaining her rhythm.

"That's true, but dancing? I thought I'd have you beat on that front, at least," she laughed, though her voice sounded breathy to her own ears.

"Dancing's not so much different then fighting." He shrugged as they moved.

"I guess I never thought about it that way before."

Just then, the music slowed even further, the bass hitting heavy and sensual. She cursed her terrible timing, willing the earth to swallow her up. She looked up, already wincing, expecting him to break away after his brief bout of humoring her. However, he just looked down at her apprehensive face and winked. His grip tightened, and he spun her around so that her back was against his chest. She gasped, and then was thankful he couldn't see how she was sweating through the tomato-like flush on her face. It was all she could do to follow his lead and not turn into a puddle of blonde goo on the floor. This was _so _not what she'd planned, but somehow, despite how embarrassed she was to be dancing this way with Laxus, she couldn't find it in her to stop. There were definitely worse ways to spend her time, she thought with a small smile.

"I didn't think princesses danced like this," his voice rumbled next to her ear, and she breathed in again, her eyes widening. She could feel his breath in her ear, and she willed her heart to slow down, sure he could probably feel it from this distance.

"I'm not a princess," she argued, somehow managing to maintain her tone of earlier sassiness.

He chuckled, leaning further down as he moved their hips together. "Tell that to your freaky maid spirit."

Lucy stiffened in his grip, turning her head to face him. Briefly stunned by how close he was and how his eyes were actually light blue instead of gray, she pushed down her reaction in favor of indulging her curiosity.

"How'd you know that Virgo calls me that?"

He shrugged and leaned back, electing to pull her closer instead of elaborating. She let him.

"In any case," she continued, "Cana didn't let me get away without knowing how to dance her way. Apparently the waltz isn't a suitable dance style for guild parties."

Laxus laughed, but the sound was throaty and full, filling the room and causing a good number of their fellow dancers' attention to drift to them. She turned around in his arms, and she took in his expression. His smile lit up his whole face, and as he laughed, she couldn't help but join in. He looked younger when he smiled. It smoothed out the hard lines of his face, and for a brief moment, she saw a bit of the boy he must've been, all bright eyes and white teeth.

All too soon, the song shifted again, the upbeat thumping dispersing the close-knit groups from before. Laxus' smile slid from his face, and he dropped his hands with a cough, running a hand through already disheveled hair. She shivered at the change in temperature, not having realized how warm it'd been in such close contact with him.

They looked at each other for a long moment, surrounded on all sides by their dancing guild mates. His expression was impassive, and Lucy wondered what she'd done to bring back the Laxus from before—the one that might as well been carved from stone.

"Thanks for the dance," she said lamely, just for something to break the silence.

He only nodded, breaking their gaze to stare two inches above her forehead.

She guessed that was the best she was going to get. He seemed to be waiting for something, so she offered him a small smile.

"I guess I'll see you around, then," she said, her face heating up again.

Another nod. Without another word, he turned to go, the crowd parting around him as he passed. Lucy hung her head, sighing heavily amongst the rapidly closing wave of people. She wanted to call out to him, to ask him all the question buzzing around her head, but she bit the urge back.

Why would he agree to dance with her when his own team couldn't even budge him? Why the sudden coolness when he'd been perfectly friendly two minutes before? She'd been having a good time. She wouldn't have said no to spending more time with him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Cana making her way toward her with a huge smile on her face. Bickslow followed on her heels.

"Damn, girl. When I said you should lighten up, I didn't think you'd go straight for the top. Respect earned."

"I didn't do anything! It was a few dances, that's all," Lucy defended.

Cana was unconvinced. "You looked pretty cozy to me," she teased, wiggling her eyebrows. Lucy palmed her forehead.

"Stop reading into it! I thought he looked lonely, so I asked him to dance. We did. End of story," she explained. "Plus, it couldn't have been that great if he took off without a word," she mumbled, more to herself than anything.

"Cheer up, Cosplayer," Bickslow said, slapping Lucy on the shoulder with the hand that wasn't around Cana's waist. His face was a mirror to his girlfriend's, eyebrows waggling, the expression made all the lewder by this exposed tongue.

"I just wish you'd teach me whatever trick you used to get him down here. I'd be insulted if I didn't know him so well," he laughed, his eyes scrunching around the corners.

She glared at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

He shook his head, waving his free hand. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

Her scowl intensified, and his goofy expression lost some of its bite.

"I can't say much without breaking Bro Code," she rolled her eyes, but he shushed her. "Shut up. The Bro Code exists, and it's sacred. But anyway, I can say that what you just did is a pretty big deal. Let's leave it at that."

With that, Bickslow pulled Cana away, who only waved and stumbled after him.

Lucy once against found herself in the thick of the crowd, just as confused as ever and feeling decidedly out of the loop.

The rest of the night, she tried to put her strange encounter out of her mind. Between wrangling a trigger-happy Natsu and Gray, who got more eager to brawl the more they drank, and trying to stop Erza from unleashing hellish retribution upon them for destroying guild property, it wasn't difficult. However, every now and then, her eyes would drift against her will to the second floor, where Laxus stood sentinel above the party, not a hint of the boyish smile from earlier on his face. He remained apart from it all, and it made her sad, wishing he'd stayed with her for a little while longer, if only so she could see him smile again.

Eventually, she looked up and found him gone, and with a sigh, she knew he'd left. After that, it was hard to focus on anything else. Her friends noticed her distraction, but she pawned it off as a headache, and she left soon afterwards, citing the need the rest.

That night, she slept fitfully, her dreams full of shining blue eyes and warm smiles always just out of reach.


	2. Ripple Effect

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for the amazing initial response! You've been lovely. It's always the kiss of death to update so early, but I couldn't stop myself. Please keep me accountable in the future, since starting VERY soon, I really have no idea where this is going. But until then, fuckle the buck up, cause things are about to get heavy.

**Part II: Ripple Effect**

The next morning, Lucy awoke to a world of flames and smoke.

A shrill beeping sound jostled her out of sleep, and she rubbed her swollen eyes. It was only after several seconds that she realized that her smoke alarm was the thing making the horrible shrieking sound, and she was immediately awake, streaking across her apartment in a flurry of blonde hair and baggy sweatpants.

She barreled into the kitchen, where the smoke was thickest, and saw red that had nothing to do with the flames licking her cabinets.

"Natsu! I'm going to strangle you!"

Natsu stood in the kitchen, a 1000-watt smile taking up half his face. "Hey, Luce! I'm cooking breakfast!"

She could feel the vein in her forehead pulsing. It was a miracle she hadn't been diagnosed with high blood pressure after a year's worth of these antics, but she was sure that this would put her over the edge. She'd make sure to send him her medical bill.

"You're destroying my house, is what you're doing! Put out the fire right now or I swear to the First Master I will end you," she threatened, her voice growing quieter with every word. Natsu's eyes widened at her wrath.

"Natsu, run! It's scary Lucy this morning!" Happy screamed as Lucy advanced on them.

Not sticking around to face her wrath, Natsu dove out the nearest window, Happy snapping him up before he hit the ground. She didn't stick around to see which direction they flew off—only summoned Loke to help her smother the flames with her bedsheets.

"Why didn't you summon Aquarius, Princess? It seems like she would be better suited to this sort of thing."

Lucy scoffed. "And risk the whole building being destroyed when she realized I called her to clean up after my friends? Not a chance. Still," she huffed as they threw the heavy blankets over the stove, "Natsu better watch himself. These were expensive and I don't exactly money to throw around these days."

"Fear not, Princess," a voice spoke, materializing from a shower of light in the form of Virgo, "I bring gifts from the Spirit World. I have taken the liberty of placing new bedding in your quarters."

"Thank you so much, Virgo! I can't tell you how much that means to me." Her shoulders sagged in relief as she mentally added back the thousands of Jewel to her savings.

"Anything for you. Shall I be punished today, then?" Virgo asked in her lilting monotone.

"You had to go and ruin a sweet gesture by being weird," Lucy sighed. "I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less. You know I'm not going to punish you."

Virgo shrugged. "Then I shall take my leave. Feel free to summon me at your will, Princess." The spirit didn't wait for a farewell, disappearing as soon as she had appeared.

"One of these days you're going to break down and give the poor girl what she wants. A harsh word and she would be on cloud nine for the next millennium," Loke quipped, dusting imaginary dirt from his suit jacket. "Or, you know, you can always just punish me and make _my _millennium," he said with a sly wink.

"Ugh! Go away. It's too early to deal with this."

Loke's laughter lingered behind him as he closed his own gate.

Not wanting to stay in her apartment and stare at her newly scorched kitchen, Lucy quickly readied herself for the day, intent on improving her day.

Hours later, as Lucy wiped nachos from her new silk top—the product of an impromptu guild food fight—she decided that she should have stayed home after all, especially after having denied Virgo's offer of clothes. Having worn Virgo's peculiar taste in fashion on too many emergency occasions, she would rather remain covered in beans and cheese than surrender her last shred of dignity today.

"It's not that bad," Mira cooed, accepting the soiled rag from Lucy as she finished trying to salvage her shirt. "You can barely see the stain!"

Lucy levied her a stern look. "You're a terrible liar."

"Okay, maybe you can see it a little, but it could be worse!"

"What could be worse?" a voice said from behind her, startling her enough to jump and knock an empty water glass off the bar, sending it shattering into a thousand tiny crystals on the floor.

"Woah, Cosplayer, I thought we were past the fear stage. You good?" Bickslow asked with a laugh.

"Maybe we can be past it when you stop trying to give me a heart attack!" Lucy yelled, whipping around to look at her guildmate.

"Sure, sure," he waved his hand in a dismissal. "Anyway, I just wanted to get a last check on our mission paperwork. Did Master approve it yet?" His visored gaze shifted towards Mira.

"Yep!" She chirped, making her way around the bar with a dustpan. "He signed off on it yesterday afternoon. I didn't get a chance to tell you with how busy it got last night."

"No worries. Just wanted confirmation before we head out. You know how Laxus gets."

Mira hummed a noncommittal sound, batting Lucy's hands away as she tried to help sweep up the shards of glass from the floor. With a sigh, Lucy gave up, looking back at Bickslow, her brows furrowing.

"Where are you guys going the day after the rager last night?"

"We're heading out west," the seith mage answered. "Routine monster hunt. Some middle-of-nowhere village wants a cave system cleared out so they can use it for storage. No biggie, but Boss Man still wanted to make sure everything was signed before we head out. The rest of the gang is waiting at the train station with our bags, so I shouldn't stay too much longer."

Lucy nodded, fighting the unfamiliar pang of disappointment at his words.

"When will you guys be back?" She asked

"Why you want to know? Got some unfinished business, Lucy?" He asked, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he teased her.

"I just figured I would let Cana know," she explained, cringing at how lame she sounded.

"Don't worry yourself. Cana and I spent all last night saying goodbye, if you catch my drift." Though Bickslow's eyes were covered by his helmet, she could feel the force of his salacious wink.

"Okay, eww. I didn't need the mental image, thanks."

"You sure? I promise it's a good one." He laughed. "But we should be back within the week. We aren't expecting much resistance."

Wringing her hands together, she fought down the urge to question him more. "Just be careful. You never know what could happen out there."

He smiled at her—all semblance of joking melting from his features. "Always am. Seriously, Luce, don't worry. We'll be fine."

She sighed, deciding it was the best she was going to get. "Good luck, then. And tell the others the same."

"Will do," he saluted her. After saying his goodbyes to the two women, Bickslow sauntered out of the guild. "By the way, interesting choice of fashion today, Luce! Not quite sure you pull off nachos," he called over his shoulder. The sounds of his cackling soon faded.

Not having the energy to summon indignance at his comment, Lucy simply let herself stare for several seconds at the heavy wooden doors that had swallowed Bickslow. She fought back the pit in her stomach his parting assurances had caused, and slowly Lucy turned her attention back to Mira, who had finished cleaning up and was looking at her with a knowing smile.

"They'll be fine, you know," Mira said, "The Thunder Legion are consummate professionals. They know what they're doing."

"I know!" Lucy was quick to respond, voice going high in defense. "I'm not worried!"

"Okay," Mira said, "But if you were, I'd tell you that it's normal."

Lucy frowned at her friend. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Mira only continued to smile.

* * *

Despite Lucy's hopes and Mira's encouragement, the rest of the week did not get better. Starting that evening, rain became a constant presence. Not even having the courage to storm, the weather became a ceaseless drizzle that made Lucy's hair frizzy and gave her chills. On Wednesday, the underwire to her favorite bra finally gave out and she'd had to replace it, eating even further into her savings. The one job she went on with the team ended in astounding failure, with Natsu and Gray getting into a fight while taking out a mage specializing in Hypnotism magic and subsequently unleashing the full force of their magic on a residential area of Shirotsume. They'd had to surrender their reward plus interest in order to pay for the damages.

Not willing to lose her apartment over their shenanigans, she'd pulled double duty on solo missions since then. She'd dogsat for a local family's shapeshifting dog, which had decided to turn into a guinea pig and escape from the property. Luckily, she'd managed to catch it without incident, but not before ending up face-first in a mud puddle. She'd been a personal shopper to what was probably the pickiest old man in all of Fiore, having run in and out of seven different tailor's shops in search of a velvet waistcoat, only to end up circling back to the first option at the end of a grueling day. By the end of the week, she'd managed to scrounge enough funds together to keep her apartment for another month, but the lack of sleep caught up with her on Friday, and she fell into her bed wearing her street clothes.

The sun woke her on Saturday, streaming in warm rays through her window. She had a crick in her neck and was stiff from falling asleep without changing into pajamas, but seeing the sun after a week of rain made her smile regardless. Clambering out of bed, she stretched, thinking that the sun must be a good omen. She took comfort in the fact that pretty much anything would be better than the past week. Summoning Horologium, she was shocked that it was nearly noon. She smiled. It was the first time in a while she'd managed to sleep uninterrupted for more than a few hours, whether by her own restlessness or intrusive team members. She forgot how good it felt to sleep in.

She dressed in her favorite outfit: the white and blue vest with the matching skirt. Buckling on her belt and slipping on her comfiest boots, she skipped all the way to the guild, refusing to let anything ruin her good mood.

Bursting through the doors, she greeted everyone with a smile. Gliding over to the bar, she ordered a strawberry smoothie from Mira to treat herself.

"You're looking perky this morning," Mira remarked as she slid the pink concoction over the bar top.

"It's going to be a good day. I can feel it," Lucy said, smiling. She took a long pull from the curly straw stuck in the shake, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

"Mira, you're amazing," she told her, pushing the straw to the side so she could take larger sips straight from the glass. Mira laughed at her, shaking her head.

"It's good to see you in such a good mood. You've been so gloomy lately."

Lucy groaned. "Tell me about it. All week, I felt like I couldn't catch a break. I seriously thought I'd have to ask Levy if I could bunk with her for a few weeks. That's how close I came to not being able to pay my rent."

Mira stretched out a hand to rest on her shoulder, patting it. "Well, it's over now. The weekend means a clean slate. It can only go up from here."

Smiling, Lucy raised her glass. "I'll drink to that!"

"What are we toasting to?" Cana shouted from a table across the way. Mira and Lucy exchanged a knowing look and dissolved into simultaneous fits of giggles.

"Nothing," Mira said, her hands over her mouth.

Cana shrugged. "Good enough for me," she said, raising a huge tankard of ale to her lips.

Lucy recovered first. "It's nice to know that some things will never change."

Raising a pale eyebrow, Mira smirked. "Are you saying Cana's alcoholism is comforting?"

Lucy's eyes widened. "What? No! That's not what I meant, and you know it!" She waved her hands in front of her.

Mira's smirk waned as she tried to stifle laughter. "Sorry, Lucy. You make it too easy."

Glaring, Lucy raised her milkshake to her lips again, finishing it in one drag. Wiping her mouth, she stuck her tongue out at the barmaid. "I see how it is."

"Actually," she said, looking around the guild hall after a moment, "where is Natsu? I figured he'd be here. I know Gray and Erza had a job lined up, but it's not like him to not be causing trouble this late in the day."

"He was in earlier. Lisanna went fishing with him and Happy. They'll probably be out a while. It's been a slow day. Even Master's gone out to enjoy the sunshine."

She nodded. "It's nice that he's finally stopped dragging his feet with that."

Mira grimaced, a line forming between her eyebrows. "Eh," she said, "I wouldn't go that far. I love him to death, but the poor boy is denser than a rock." Her hands came up to her temples, massaging them in small circles. "Lisanna has more patience than anyone I know."

"Honestly, I wish she'd just give him a good kick in the right direction. Maybe then he'd stop crashing at my place and I could keep my fridge stocked for more than two days."

The two girls commiserated in silence, before the doors to the guild hall flew off their hinges and into the empty tables on the main floor. Lucy could only watch, frozen into perfect stillness at the sight before her while the guild gave way to chaos.

Evergreen came in first, the one to have caved the entrance in. Elfman shouted at her about being manly, but his salutation was cut short when he saw the shiny tear tracks dripping down her face, her mascara running in inky trails.

The shouts of her guild mates, Cana and Mira's horror-filled faces, it all faded to the fringes of her consciousness as she took in what followed her: the picture of Bickslow and Freed struggling to carry an unconscious Laxus into the building.

"Please, he needs Miss Marvell's services," Freed called, sounding on the verge of tears. "It's urgent."

"Tell us she's around." Lucy couldn't remember Bickslow ever sounding so serious. He had his helmet pulled over face, but she could imagine the wild look in the crimson eyes. She idly noticed Jet sprint out the doors, most likely to go get Wendy, but Lucy was preoccupied with the man being supported by his teammates.

His head lolled forward, the heavy fringe of his hair obscuring his face from view. However, she was almost glad for it when she saw the rest of him. His shirt had been torn at one of the shoulders, and along the long ropes of muscle, his veins stood out in stark contrast, deep black lines crawling just beneath the skin, as if he'd been injected with ink. The lines crept up his arm and disappeared beneath the purple fabric of his shirt. Suddenly, it was very hard to draw air into her lungs. This was Laxus. Laxus was _Laxus_. Aside from Gildarts, he was the strongest member of Fairy Tail. He was indestructible. He'd gone toe-to-toe with dark guild masters, monsters, and dragons, and always rose up victorious. This couldn't be happening.

Except it was.

Everything happened in slow motion, drained of all sound and color. Freed and Bickslow half-carried, half-dragged Laxus to the infirmary, and the door closed behind them with a resounding _thud_. Evergreen, who'd managed to make it into Elfman's arms before collapsing, sobbed into his chest as he stroked her hair.

The sound of her cries snapped Lucy out of her stupor, and she shot out of her seat, ignoring Mira's confused shout. Before she was aware of it, she'd pushed open the door to the infirmary and witnessed hell.

Freed and Bickslow weren't waiting for Wendy. They'd stripped Laxus of his shirt, and she stifled a gag as she saw that the veins covered nearly his whole chest, crawling up his neck and the side of his face. Freed had a pile of ripped sheets at his side, some of them already stained red from a wound on Laxus' side that she hadn't noticed before. They moved methodically, without speaking, and Lucy couldn't contain her gasps when she saw that they were using the spare strips of fabric to bind their leader's hands and legs to the posts of the infirmary bed.

"What—what are you doing? Stop it!" she cried, running further into the room to grab hold of Bickslow's arms.

He shrugged her off. "We don't have time for this, Lucy. Get out. You don't need to see this."

"Not until you stop tying him up. He's your friend and you're hurting him!"

He wheeled on her then, and his razed visor gave her a look at his eyes, burning with fury. In that moment, she feared that he'd hit her.

"Damn right he's my friend. And if you give even a single shit about him, you'll let us save his fucking life. Now either help or get the hell out of our way."

Her heart beat out a hummingbird's rhythm, having never been as terrified of Bickslow as she was in that moment. She could only watch in silence as they continued their ministrations, forcing down the urge to try and stop them against as they restrained Laxus. She shuffled to the foot of the bed to get a better look when Laxus groaned.

"Oh no," Freed said, his one visible eye widening. "It's happening again. Move faster, Bickslow."

"What do you mean? He's regaining consciousness!" she said, leaning closer.

It was Freed's turn to glare at her, and she fell silent. Quickly, they finished tying their knots and then backed away, joining her at the foot of the bed. As Laxus stirred, she tried to move closer, only to have the two men restrain her and none too gently move her back another several paces.

"What? Let me go!" she struggled against Bickslow's iron grip on her wrist.

He didn't say anything, but his hold tightened.

"She shouldn't be here," Freed muttered over her head.

"Evergreen is busy keeping everyone else out. We'll need help if this gets rough," Bickslow murmured back.

Laxus' moaning intensified, and he began to pull at his restraints, muscles pulling taught underneath the skin. After several seconds, the contractions intensified. Then, with an earth-shattering snarl, he began to thrash with convulsions. Sparks shot from his body, and the two men at Lucy's side pushed her down to shield her from the output.

She closed her eyes against the light, powerless to do anything but hide her face into Freed's overcoat. The electricity in the room drew all the hair on her arms straight up, and the logical part of her brain wondered if they'd all be fried in this little room, completely unable to help Laxus. However, after another few moments, the light died down, and she was able to open her eyes, blinking away the tendril-like afterimages imprinted on her eyelids.

Freed and Bickslow wasted no time hauling her up, releasing her without another word. They moved in concert once more, undoing Laxus's restraints and turning him on his side as he still rocked with aftershocks of his seizure. She stood frozen in place as Bickslow wiped back fluid that frothed from Laxus's mouth while Freed dressed the wound on his side. After several more seconds of taking them in, she pushed down her worry, trying to shift into the headspace needed to be the least bit useful.

Shaking her head a few times, she walked to Freed's side and took a handful of bandages. He paid her no attention as she went to the sink, grabbing a washbasin and filling it with water. Returning to the bedside, she began dipping the bandages in water and wringing them out the best she could. It wasn't much, but she was determined to do something other than gawk at Laxus like he was some sort of science experiment.

"Here," she nudged Freed with her elbow, holding out the damp cloth to him. "This will help clean the wound better. If you've staunched the bleeding, you don't want it getting infected."

He nodded, and took the piece of fabric from her, dabbing at the ragged wound in Laxus' side. It wasn't large, but it was ghastly, a crusted hole just under his ribcage covered in thick black fluid and clotted blood. Maybe she'd spoken too soon. It already seemed to be infected.

She bit back any questions, knowing they'd fall on deaf ears. Now that she was thinking more rationally, she realized that Freed and Bickslow wouldn't take their attention off Laxus for anyone or anything until they were sure he was taken care of. Bickslow's reaction didn't seem so violent anymore. Her respect for them grew.

The door slammed open, and Wendy ran in, pushing past Bickslow like she was twice his size and not the other way around. She drew in a breath, and then she was all business, her face clear of all emotion. There was no trace of the clumsy twelve-year-old girl on her face. This was the face of person about to take someone's life into her hands.

"I'll need space to work. Sorry to ask this of you all, but it's best if you leave for now. Porlyusica will be here soon and she works best with as small of an audience as possible."

She paid them no more attention as she went to work turning Laxus back onto his back, closing her eyes as she extended her hands over him. Lucy's breath hitched as she began to glow with a pale blue aura, but a light touch on her elbow diverted her attention. She looked back at Freed, who gestured to the door with his head. Nodding, she followed him and Bickslow through the door.

Stepping through the door erased the sense of calm she'd slipped into. Tears rose to her eyes, and she covered her mouth to mask the sobs that came unbidden from her mouth. Mira came forward and enveloped her into a hug, rocking her back and forth as she rubbed her back in soothing circles.

"Shh," she said. "It will be alright. He's in good hands. Wendy won't let anything happen to him." Her assurances, normally so comforting, sounded hollow.

Lucy pulled herself from the embrace with a raw, gasping breath. "I'm sorry. I don't know why…I mean I know why, but I'm sorry," she turned to face the Thunder Legion, Evergreen still wiping the tears away from her face and Freed, who now let some of his fall. Bickslow, his visor back in place, shook about the shoulders, shaking off Cana's attempts to comfort him. "I didn't know," she began again. "It wasn't my place and…I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry," she sniffed, unable to convey how she felt about intruding on their attempts to save Laxus' life. What was he to her aside from a fellow guild mate? She'd barged into a life or death situation without a hint of respect, and the few seconds of distraction on Freed or Bicklow's part could have cost him his life.

To her surprise, Freed came forward and laid a hand on her shoulder. She hung her head, unable to meet his gaze.

"It's alright, Lucy," he told her in a tight voice, obviously trying to control his own tears. "You were trying your best, too. It means a lot that someone else would care so much for Laxus. Don't blame yourself." He retracted his hand, and when she looked up, she saw no judgment in his red-rimmed eyes.

Bickslow and Evergreen nodded from his sides.

"Will…will he be alright?" Lucy asked in a small voice, desperate to know yet afraid of what the answer might be.

Evergreen's face contorted into another silent sob, and she turned around to wipe at her eyes again. When she'd composed herself, she turned back around and coughed once.

"That depends on Wendy," she whispered, her eyes haunted behind the wire frames of her glasses. "Laxus is strong, so we shouldn't lose hope, but," she stuttered and took a few shambling breaths, "he's gone almost a full day like that. Each seizure has only gotten more powerful. We weren't sure how long he could fight."

For a moment, no one spoke.

After several tense moments, Elfman asked the question everyone was too afraid to.

"What happened out there?"

This time, it was Freed who crumpled, and Bickslow had to catch him before he hit the floor.

"Come on, man. It's alright. You know how Laxus is," he grunted, his voice raw. "Always playing the hero. It could have happened to any one of us."

"But it happened to me!" Freed yelled, thrashing in Bickslow's hold. "And if Laxus dies, it will be my fault! I was weak, and he's paying the price. It should be me in there dying, not him!"

Mira gasped, tears welling in her eyes. Freed was inconsolable, sobbing so hard he gagged. Evergreen sank down to him, and he allowed her to wrap her arms around him. They cried together for a long while, her stroking his hair. It reminded Lucy of how her own mother used to comfort her when she was upset.

"It's my fault, Ever," he whispered into her shoulder.

"Stop that," she cooed through her own tears. "Laxus would hate to hear you blaming yourself. He knew what he was getting into. Don't let what he did be in vain."

"But if I had just been stronger. If I'd been paying better attention," he said, tightening her grip on her.

"Don't say shit like that," Bickslow told him. "Shitty stuff happens, and if you think we're going sit here and blame you so you can feel better about what happened, then you're in for a long wait."

Freed fell silent then, his sobs quieting into occasional wet hiccups. Evergreen held him until his back stopped its violent shaking, and when he finished, she pulled back with a watery smile, moving the hair out of his face. Wiping his face with a handkerchief, Freed accepted Bickslow's offered hand and stood, straightening his cravat. He cleared his throat.

"I think we should let them know exactly what happened," he stated in a thick voice. "Then we can decide where the blame lies."

Evergreen grimaced but didn't contradict him.

"The job was more complicated than we anticipating," he began, his words measured. "The job description didn't state what species of monster we'd be exterminating from the caves, so we automatically assumed it would be a rather common vulcan infestation or something equally simple."

He took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders. "It was naïve to believe so. We spent several days doing reconnaissance, to no avail. Then, early this morning, we found our quarry. Only it wasn't vulcans. It was nest of serkets. A whole host of them,"

It was Lucy's turn to gasp. Serkets. No wonder Laxus was in such critical condition. A normal mage would already be long dead. It was a testament to Laxus' strength that he was still fighting against the poison of Earthland's most deadly scorpion. Lucy had never seen one in person, but she'd heard the horror stories. Scorpions the size of horses, with enough venom in one sting to kill a dragon. All the symptoms made sense now. The wound in his side from the stinger, the poison flowing through his blood stream. It also explained the violent convulsions.

"We tried to be careful. I laid down runes to trap them in while Evergreen and Laxus did the majority of the extermination. I was so focused on maintaining the barriers that I didn't notice that I'd missed one. By the time I turned around, it was already too late. I knew it was over. I couldn't even close my eyes." He shut his eyes, reliving the moment.

"But somehow Laxus was there. He moved so quickly. Faster than I've ever seen," he whispered, staring straight ahead. "He saved my life. I'd be dead by now if it weren't for him. He took the hit meant for me, and if he dies, it will be because of my carelessness."

Lucy didn't have to guess how Freed must feel. She'd felt like the weak link on her own team more times than she could count, but not once had Erza, Natsu, or Gray ever let her dwell. If Laxus did succumb to the serket venom…the thought alone made her heart drop to her stomach. She pushed it down. She had to keep believing Laxus would pull through, for reasons she would investigate later. But Freed had to know the truth.

"You're wrong," she said, and the Thunder Legion looked at her. She shuffled her feet, wandering if she was speaking out of turn. But she hadn't let that stop her before, so she went on. "Laxus would do it again in a heartbeat. And he wouldn't blame you. You guys are closer to him than anyone else. Laxus doesn't say much, but you just have to look at you guys together to know how much he cares for all of you. He wouldn't want it to be any other way."

"You don't have to try to make me feel better, Lucy," Freed said.

"I'm not! I'm telling the truth, so get it through your thick head!" she yelled, taking a step towards him. His eyes widened as she pointed at him.

"Laxus fights for his family. That consumes who he is. I'll admit, I was just as nervous as the next person when he came back to the guild, but you all looked so happy, I figured there must be something about him that would make you all miss him so much. And during the Games, I found out why. I watched him fight Raven Tail, I watched him break through what would kill any normal mage, and he did it without breaking a sweat. I watched him throw Flare across the arena, and he did it for me!" she breathed out, poking Freed squarely in the chest, the memory of that day crystallizing in her mind. "He barely even knew me, and he did that. So why would you question his loyalty to you? Why would you blame yourself for something he did willingly, and would do again? Laxus wouldn't be Laxus if he hadn't done it."

She dropped her hand, feeling her heartbeat slow.

"So I know he'll pull through. Laxus is stronger than a Wizard Saint. He won't let something like this beat him. I can _feel _it," she said, her voice hard, willing Freed to hear the truth in her voice. To hear how much she believed. She wasn't prepared to be surrounded on all sides within seconds of finishing her passionate speech, but that was exactly what happened. The Thunder Legion encased her in the tightest hug she'd ever experienced, and she struggled to breath.

"You're right, Lucy. I shouldn't have been so thoughtless," Freed said from her right.

"I didn't really say anything that Evergreen and Bicks didn't already, so," she wheezed, and they let her go so she could breathe properly. Evergreen and Freed looked bashful, but Bickslow just smiled.

"Even so, thank you for reminding me to have faith in Laxus. I should have known better."

"If you can believe that Laxus can pull through, then we should, too," Evergreen agreed, looking hopeful for the first time since she'd blown the doors off the guild hall.

After that, Mira convinced everyone to have a seat, and they did their best to keep the conversation light, though every creak of a door had heads shooting up to the infirmary entrance, only to be met with disappointment.

* * *

Half an hour later, Porlyusica came in without a word, stomping through the infirmary door. No one dared follow her. Master ran through the door ten minutes after that, disappearing behind the same door only to be thrown out seconds later. The old man suddenly looked his age, the youthful spark in his eyes extinguished. In an attempt to soothe him, Mira allowed him to rest his head in her lap as she sat. It was a testament to his concern that he laid there silently, without even a hint of a suggestive comment. Another hour passed before Porlyusica emerged from the infirmary, walking up to the vigil that had formed in the center of the room. Master shot out of Mira's lap, but no one dared say anything.

She cleared her throat, glaring. "Not that it matters, but if it hadn't been for Wendy, you'd all have an actual reason to be acting like someone died." Her scowl intensified as she took in the devastated faces looking back at her.

"As it stands, you can suck it up. Laxus will live. Wendy will still need to treat him periodically, but I see no reason why he won't be back to being an annoyance to you all soon enough."

The guild immediately burst into cheers of relief, only for Porlyusica to shush them. "That means he need to rest, damn it! But by all means, ruin his progress by making a racket."

That quieted the crowd, but the elated smiles on the Thunder Legions faces, and the happy tears in Master's eyes didn't subside.

Porlyusica rolled her eyes and turned on her heels, marching out of the guild hall, grumbling to herself about annoying, foul humans all the while.

Lucy's cheeks hurt from smiling so much. She celebrated quietly in her seat, the relief making her feel the closest she'd ever been to being high.

"Did Aunt Porly leave?" a small voice called from the doorway. Lucy turned and smiled. Wendy rubbed at her eyes, once again the child they all knew.

"Yeah, she did," she said, standing and walking over to her. The girl swayed on her feet, and Lucy brought her closer, supporting her as they walked back to the others. The Thunder Legion took turns hugging her, showering her with thanks, and she smiled tiredly back at them.

"Come here, child," Master said, patting the seat next to him. She stumbled over to it, exhausted.

"I can't begin to thank you for what you've done today, but if you ever want for anything, all you have to do is ask for it," he said, tears in his eyes.

"I don't need anything, Master. I did what anyone would do," she said, smiling.

"And that's why we're all so grateful for you, my dear," he told her. "Not everyone would feel that way."

She shrugged. "I'm just glad I could do it." She frowned then, shifting her weight on the bench seat. "It was a close call," she admitted, pursing her lips. "I thought I might lose him a few times, but each time, he managed to pull through. Laxus is really amazing," she smiled, then. "It's not every day you find someone with such an intense will to live."

Evergreen laughed. "I'm not surprised. Laxus is the most pigheaded person I've ever met. It wouldn't matter what it was, he'd refuse to die on principal."

Lucy laughed with her. It was nice to be able to crack jokes again, knowing he'd pull through.

"He's not conscious, but it's probably best if he stays that way. I couldn't get all the venom out of system without doing more harm than good, so it'll take some time for his body to take care of it all. Until then, he needs rest. I healed where the barb went into his side, but it'll scar."

Master nodded at her side, his face impassive once more. "Wendy, she said he'll live, but will he be…the same?"

Wendy sighed. "I don't know, Master. If I'm being honest, I've never heard of anyone surviving a serket sting long enough to get treatment. It's all really up to Laxus now," she frowned again, pulling one of her long pigtails over her shoulder and stroking it. "I wish I could be more helpful."

Master patted her head with a broken smile. "Nonsense. You saved his life. That's all we can ask for. Anything else is greed."

Lucy understood what he didn't say, though. Laxus was in his prime. No one wanted to contemplate a world where he couldn't go on jobs. She thought Laxus might have rather chosen death over being unable to use his magic. She shook her head to clear the dark thoughts, resolving to remain optimistic. Laxus would recover. He would. Worrying about the worst case scenario wouldn't help anyone.

"When can he have visitors?" she asked to distract herself.

Wendy turned to her, blinking slowly. "If it's in small groups, I don't see why you guys can't go visit. Just try not to disturb him."

The Thunder Legion didn't wait around. They rose from their seats, with Freed sharing a look with Master before the older man waved them on. Evergreen dropped a kiss to the top of Elfman's head as she turned to go. They filed through the door without a word, and Freed shut it softly behind him.

Slowly, the vigil dispersed. Master trekked upstairs to his office, saying that he'd have time with Laxus after his team had a chance to visit. Cana went back to nursing her tankard of ale, the mood lifted enough for her to drink once again. Elfman carried a now-sleeping Wendy over to a more comfortable spot, smiling over the tiny girl. Feeling awkward, Lucy elected to follow Mira back to the bar.

She slid onto a stool after Mira refused to let her help behind the counter. "So much for this being a good day," she said, blowing her bangs out of her face. She laid her head onto the counter top, feeling its coolness against her cheek. If she just closed her eyes, she bet that she could fall asleep like this, but knew if she did, images of Laxus thrashing in pain would appear behind her eyelids. The day had been the closest thing to a living nightmare she'd had in quite some time, and it wasn't even over yet.

Something cold poked at her head. Looking up, she saw Mira holding another milkshake out to her. "Here," she said. "The sugar will keep you from going into shock. You look a little keyed up, and we don't need someone else in the infirmary today."

She smiled. "Thanks, Mira."

The time passed slowly. Lucy hung out in the guild, not having anything to do but not wanting to leave. The Thunder Legion switched places with Master after a while, and she grew antsier with every tick of the clock, even though they said he'd only been sleeping. She felt silly for being so concerned. Surely she didn't have the right to feel so invested in this? Her interactions with Laxus could be summed up to a few dances and some harmless banter. It felt wrong to feel so…moved by this ordeal. But she was. She wished she could go into the infirmary and see the evidence of Laxus' survival for herself. She wanted it more than she felt comfortable admitting to herself.

Regardless, she watched the door like a hawk, on the edge of her seat. When Master emerged, he gifted her with a small smile and gestured to the door with a nod of his head. Eyes widening, she pointed to herself, not sure if he meant for her to go in. His smile widened and he nodded. With shaky legs, she stood and made her way to the door. Master gave her a reassuring pat on the leg as he walked past her, and she drew in a breath, preparing herself to see Laxus once more.

* * *

**A/N: **How can I have a LaLu story with no Laxus, you ask? Very carefully, I say to you. But all jokes aside, I hope you stick with the story and continue to give me your thoughts! Extra credit for anyone who knows the origins of the serket!

Much love to everyone!


	3. Awakening

**A/N: **I can't control myself. It's a real problem. If you are hoping that I can maintain this updating schedule, you may be as crazy as I am! All jokes aside, I am enjoying the writing process and your encouragement SO much! This is a much different story than Hear Me, and the response has been so kind, aside from a very lovely troll who was much more inspirational than they could have ever imagined. Maybe next time spell the word "pedestal" correctly if you want to be taken seriously, though. But what do I know, right? I'm just a dumb Laxus apologist.

For the rest of you, I hope you enjoy Part III. It's about to get introspective af

**Part III: Awakening**

The room was silent as she walked in, her breath echoing in her own ears. She surveyed the room to delay the inevitable. It was as organized as ever, the chaos from Freed and Bickslow's harried emergency care nowhere to be found. She was thankful. It would take her long enough to get over the terror of watching Laxus writhe on the infirmary bed without being confronted with the evidence again. A breeze from the open windows ruffled the drapes, and the last traces of daylight bathed everything in a warm, golden glow.

Finally, she allowed herself to look at the figure on the bed. For the first time that day, Laxus was peaceful. His chest rose and fell at regular intervals—the only indication that he'd pulled through. She crept closer, both intrigued and afraid of his stillness. A chair sat by the side of the bed, and Lucy folded herself into it, her eyes never leaving the man before her.

The thick, ropey lines underneath his skin had receded, but faint blue lines still lurked around his neck and shoulders. She figured that was what Wendy had meant by not having been able to remove all of the venom in one sitting. The covers were pulled up to his chest, hiding the wound left by the serket's stinger. If not for the dull patterns still imprinted on his skin, he could only be sleeping.

He looked so young, despite the fact that his feet nearly hung off the bed. Her mind flashed back to his smile when they'd danced last night-it seemed so long ago now. The youth of his face had been undeniable then. This felt like a poor imitation. His eyebrows were relaxed and his jaw unclenched, but there was no life, none of the man who'd teased her one moment and shuffled away, embarrassed, the next.

Against her better judgment, she reached out a hand to rest against his shoulder. She held her breath, hoping she didn't disturb him, but needed to feel him-to confirm that his wasn't some cruel trick being played on them all. Maybe that would make it real.

He didn't stir.

With a single finger, she traced the fading lines on his skin, tracing a vein that snaked around the ball of his shoulder and up his neck. She stopped when she got to his face, not wanting to push her luck. Sighing, she pulled her hand back and laid it in her lap. It felt wrong to sit here and stare at him. People had done that at her mother's wake all those years ago. They just sat and waited, not saying a word. She'd never felt more alone then.

_This is different_, she told herself. _Laxus is alive_.

"Hey," she breathed quietly, breaking the silence that sat heavy in the room. What were you supposed to say to an unconscious person, much less one you barely knew? She tried again.

"You had us all worried there for a minute," she breathed, leaning in closer. "But we shouldn't have been, should we?"

She half expected a sarcastic remark in the affirmative, but he still laid there, unmoving before her.

"It was stupid of you to do something like that. Brave, but stupid." She laughed then, a quiet sound that barely passed her teeth. "But I can't blame you. I think I would have done the same thing in your position. Just…don't scare us like that again, alright? If…if you hadn't made it. I'm not sure what any of us would have done," she said, surprised by the truth in her words. If he had died, she knew deep in her bones that he would have left a hole in the world that nothing could fill.

She took one of his hands in hers, startled by how cold it was.

"Just please get better soon," she pleaded with him, rubbing circles on the back of his hand. "We all need you. Your team need you and I—" she stopped, paranoid that he might be able to hear her somewhere in there. However, she swallowed and went on. He was asleep. She might as well say what she was thinking.

"I think I need you, too."

She lingered for several more minutes, watching the even rhythm of his breathing. After a time, she patted his hand and rose. Lucy left him with a promise to visit him again the next day, and she exited with a soft sigh.

Days passed, and Laxus didn't wake. She tried to keep her spirits up, to remind herself that Laxus' strength would serve him well. She had to believe that he would wake up- and be the man they all remembered when he did.

Every day, after she was sure the Thunder Legion and his grandfather had time to sit with him, she'd slink into the infirmary to talk to him. For hours, she'd keep him company, though she figured it was more for her benefit than his. When she ran out of encouragements for him to get well, she moved on to updating him about the guild. How Nab was finally zeroing in on his perfect job and how Mira was compiling a new dinner menu to unveil next month. She talked about how much the Thunder Legion missed him and how Master grew more concerned every day that he didn't wake up, despite Wendy's assurances that he would recover on his own time.

She talked about herself. Embarrassed at first, she quickly found herself telling him things she hadn't told anyone. Maybe it was the fact that he could offer no judgments while unconscious, but she felt lighter every time she told him about her mother and how much she missed her. How much she'd hated her father for what he'd done to her and her guild, but how she regretted waiting so long to reconcile. Now, she'd never have the chance to.

"I didn't think I'd miss him at the time, you know? I would have given anything to never see him again, even after chasing him all the way to Acalypha. Can you believe he had the nerve to ask me for money?" she laughed, shaking her head.

"And then Tenrou Island happened. By the way, I never thanked you for that, did I? We would have been goners if you hadn't shown up out of nowhere. One of these days, you'll have to tell me how you managed that," she said to his still form.

"I never thought that seven years would change so much. Coming home felt like going to Edolas. Everyone was the same, but not. When I got the news about my dad, I couldn't feel anything at first. But then I went home and saw that he'd sent a present for me on every birthday that I'd been gone. Not once did he give up hope. In the last letter he sent, he told me how much he loved me." Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. She didn't think she still had the tears left, but still they came. "I had my dad back in that letter, but I never got the chance to tell him that I loved him, too. He died with the hope that I was still out there somewhere."

She scrubbed her face with her hands, glad she'd forgone mascara that day. Fanning her face, she couldn't help but laugh at herself.

"I'm such a mess, aren't I? Pretty pathetic, huh?"

She sniffed, once again thankful that no one could see her puffy eyes and reddened face.

"But if my dad's letter gave me anything, if Fairy Tail has taught me anything, it's that I can't ever give up hope. I won't let that faith be in vain, so I know you'll wake up. Maybe then you can make fun of me for being so ridiculous," she joked, extending a hand to brush a lock of hair off his forehead. His hair was softer than she imagined, and she combed her fingers through it.

A knock at the door made her snatch her hand back and straighten in her chair. The door opened and Wendy peaked around, a small smile on her face.

"Is it okay if I come check on him?" she asked.

"Of course!" Lucy said, getting up. "Don't let me get in your way. I'm sure someone else wants to sit with him for a while, anyway."

Wendy's smile pulled down at the corners. "You don't have to leave. I'll only be a minute."

She shook her head. "I've been hogging him enough." Turning back to Laxus, she patted him on the shoulder. "I'll see you later," she promised. She turned to go, letting Wendy work her magic.

Raucous voices and the dull roar of conversation greeted her as she stepped into the main hall. The difference in volume made her jump, and she figured Freed or Levy must have placed runes around the infirmary to dull the sound. She smiled at their consideration.

She spotted her team sitting at a nearby table, and with a wave, she went to join them. Natsu and Happy sat eating, the plates stacking up in an unstable pile beside them. Gray and Erza, deep in conversation, looked up as she approached.

"Hey, Luce!" Natsu greeted around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

She grimaced. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Not much. We were thinking about taking a job," Gray said, his fingers playing with the buttons on his shirt. "You in?"

Lucy sat down at the table, but shrugged. "I need the cash, but I'm not sure if I'm up for it," she said.

Erza frowned. "Why not?"

"I just…don't know if I'd be able to stay focused."

Gray smiled, one side of his mouth pulling up higher than the other. "Laxus will be fine if you're gone for a day, Lucy."

Her face flushed and she shook her head. "This isn't about Laxus!"

"Isn't it, though? You've spent as much time with him as his team has. I didn't realize you were so close," Erza said.

"We're not," Lucy said, feeling uncomfortable with her line of questioning. She hoped that would be the end of it, but with a single arched eyebrow on Erza's part, she found herself spilling the beans. "We're not close. We've only really talked once, but I still feel like I should be here. I don't know why. It's not like he needs me or anything, and I know it sounds crazy," she said, tilting her head so her hair covered her face. She couldn't believe she was admitting this out loud, much less in front of Natsu and Gray. "But I feel like I see a lot of myself in him."

Gray's brow furrowed, and it took less than five seconds for Natsu and Happy to burst into laughter.

"Oh, gosh, Lucy, that's hilarious!" he wheezed, spewing chunks of food everywhere. Gray hissed and leaned out of the line of fire.

"I'm not sure what's so funny about it," she grumbled.

"I mean, it's _Laxus_," Gray said, shrugging, as if that answered her question. "Guy doesn't say anything if he can't grunt it out. He's about as emotional as a doornail. I mean, I respect the guy, sure, but I wouldn't say he's anything like you."

"They both have yellow hair," Happy added from his perch on Natsu's shoulder.

"That's true," Natsu agreed. "Maybe Lucy does his hair up in pigtails when she visits him," he sniggered. "They'd have more in common that way."

Lucy glared. "Shut up, Natsu."

"Come on, Lucy, lighten up," he said, leaning over the table so he could playfully swat at her arm.

"Not this time," she said, not letting up the harsh look on her face. "He nearly died. The least you could do is show a little compassion."

Natsu blinked in confusion. "Laxus is gonna be fine. He always is."

That was it. Lucy rose out of her chair, sending in screeching behind her. She leaned over the table to get in Natsu's face. "You weren't there to see how close he came to not being _fine_. You'd be singing a different tune if you knew how worried we all were while you were off having fun. This is someone's life we're talking about. How would you feel if that was Happy in there, or any one of us? Don't you remember what happened to future me in Crocus? How awful you felt?" She knew she was hitting below the belt, for when she mentioned the other Lucy's death, his expression crumbled and he broke their gaze to stare at the tabletop.

"You're right," he admitted, his tone contrite. "I'm sorry."

She nodded and sat back down, still feeling a little high strung.

Gray threw an arm around her shoulder. "Cut him some slack, Lucy. It was hard for us all to imagine Laxus needing any help at all. It's not something that any of us thought could happen."

Lucy sighed. "I know, but it _did_ happen."

"We will try to be more sensitive in the future," Erza promised. "I'm sure Laxus will appreciate such loyalty when he awakens."

Some of Lucy's earlier embarrassment flared back to life, her face pinkening.

"In any case, I agree that it would be prudent for you to stay here," Erza said. "It's clear that your first priority is ensuring that Laxus is adequately taken care of. It would be selfish of us to expect you to abandon your post."

Lucy smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Erza. I promise I'll go on the next one."

"It won't be the same without you," Gray said.

"I'm sure you'll survive," she said, laughing.

Gray smirked. "That's what you think. Trying to wrangle Captain Pyro is a job in of itself. I'm not sure how we'll do it without you."

"Hey! Watch your mouth, Ice Princess," Natsu warned.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I'll show you what I'll do about it!"

"Boys," Erza said, and though her tone was low, they immediately settled, turning to face her with huge smiles and frightened eyes. "That's better. Natsu, it's your turn to choose the mission. Choose wisely."

"Aye, sir!" he and Happy cried in unison, saluting. "Maybe we can take the sea monster mission that Lucy refused to go on last week!" In seconds, they ran to the mission board, snatched a flyer off it, and ran back to the table, displaying it to the group with identical smiles.

Erza leaned in to inspect the poster and nodded. "This is suitable. Do you have any objections, Gray?"

"Other than it was Natsu who picked it out? Nah," he said.

"Then go get approval from Mira, Natsu, and we'll be off."

Erza looked back at Lucy. "You'll alert us if anything should happen while we're away?"

Lucy smiled and nodded. "Absolutely. Make sure you guys stay safe."

"Tell that to Natsu," Gray quipped, waving a hand in the direction Natsu and Happy had gone.

She supposed that was good enough.

Rolling her eyes, she drew each of them into a hug, and did the same with Happy and Natsu after they came back from the bar. She held her embrace with Natsu as the rest of the team made their way out. When she pulled back, she couldn't help the wave of affection that swelled within her at his contrite expression.

"I really am sorry, Luce," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't mean to make you angry. I guess I didn't really want to think about what could have happened, either."

She hugged him again. "I know. I shouldn't have overreacted, either. We'll call it even if you promise to be careful."

Natsu threw his head back with a wide smile. "You got it."

"_And _don't set anything unnecessary on fire."

"Oh, come on, Luce!"

"Those are my conditions," she said, narrowing her eyes.

His shoulders heaved with an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. But only if you promise to take care of yourself, too."

She smiled at him, grateful for her dearest friend. Even when he said thoughtless things that flared her temper, she couldn't ask for a better person in her life. "Deal," she said, holding out her hand to shake.

Natsu's smile grew even wider, exposing his pointed canine teeth. Spitting into his hand, he slapped it against hers in a firm grip. She wrenched her hand back violently, stumbling back from the force.

"Natsu! That's disgusting! That's it, get out of here!" She snapped, pointing at the door.

His only response was a laugh and a quick wave as he did as she commanded. She watched him follow their teammates, her lips twitching in her struggle to maintain her stern expression. While relieved she wouldn't have to help slay the sea monster causing mischief off the coast of Hargeon—the thing spewed acid, no way was she having any part of it—she was sad that she'd given up time with her friends. They were truly like no other. When they had gone, she let her eyes trail back to the infirmary.

She didn't regret spending time with Laxus, but she'd let her friendships fall by the wayside during her constant vigil. Nothing could be done about her team for the moment, but they weren't the only ones she'd been neglecting. Looking around the guild, her eyes fell on Levy, seated at a table in the corner next to Gajeel while Jet and Droy looked on in envy.

"Hey, Levy!" she called out, walking over to her friend.

"Hey, girl!" Levy answered with a smile.

She came to a stop at the table, nodding hello to Gajeel and Pantherlily. "I just wanted to see if you were free tonight? I finished another chapter of my book a few weeks ago, and you're welcome to come over and read it."

Levy's eyes lit up. "For real? Awesome!" She struggled out of Gajeel's hold so she could stand up. "I can drop by later. We can make a sleepover out of it."

"Awesome!" Lucy smiled back, encouraged by her enthusiasm. "I guess I should actually go grocery shopping, then. Natsu cleaned me out last time he came over. Do you still like those spicy potato chips?"

"You know it," Levy laughed.

With promises to meet at Lucy's apartment later, Lucy headed out, running to the grocery store. Hopefully her team's job would last a few days and she could actually keep food in her fridge for a while. Back at her place, she hastily straightened up and tossed her pile of dirty clothes in the laundry. By the time she finished organizing her bathroom and hastily fixing herself dinner, the sky was dark.

She smiled at the tell-tale three knocks that rapped at the door. "It's open, Lev!"

The door opened and Levy greeted her, her hands laden with plastic bags.

"I felt bad for kind of inviting myself over," she explained, "so I brought snacks. And some movies. And maybe some craft ideas. I went a little overboard."

Lucy laughed. "It's fine. Honestly, I'm the one that should feel bad. We haven't hung out in forever and it's my fault." She helped Levy unload her bags onto the kitchen table, and they grabbed a few bags of junk food to take over to the couch. Once they got cozy, Levy went straight for the jugular.

"So what's this about? I get that we're overdue for a good old fashion binge-a-thon, but that's not why you asked me to come over."

Lucy groaned and leaned her head against the back of the couch. "You couldn't just let me pretend? Just for a minute?"

"Not a chance. I know you too well."

When Lucy didn't say anything, Levy leaned over and grabbed her by the shoulder, shaking her gently. "Come on!" She weedled, drawing out the last syllable. "You can't have any of the macadamia nut cookies I brought if you don't tell me."

Gasping, Lucy put a hand to her heart. "You wouldn't dare! I thought we were friends."

"The threat still stands."

Sighing, Lucy hung her head. "Okay, fine. You win."

"So how are we going to do this?" Levy asked, stroking her chin. "Shrink style? The couch is too small to fit us both if you lie down…"

Lucy laughed. "I think I can manage to spill my guts. Though a cookie might make it easier," she said, waggling her eyebrows.

"Done." Levy snagged the box of cookies from the coffee table, taking out one and tossing it to Lucy. It hit her and the face and she sputtered in outrage.

"You didn't say how I should give you the cookie," Levy defended, stifling laughter.

"Okay, okay. In all seriousness," Lucy said, calming down and settling back into the plush cushions of her sofa. "I need your honest, take-no-prisoners opinion. Be brutal."

Levy nodded, no traces of laughter left on her face.

"Am I bonkers? Like, has how I've been acting lately been as crazy as I feel like it is?"

Levy's eyebrows flew up in concern. "What brought all this on?"

"My team took a job today, and when they asked if I wanted to come, I told them no. I couldn't just leave when…" she couldn't finish the sentence, dropping her gaze to the floor. It felt too real, like a secret she couldn't share.

"When Laxus still hasn't woken up," Levy finished, reaching out to pat her on the knee. "That isn't crazy. I totally get it."

Lucy looked up, surprised. "You do?"

"Yeah. I mean it's kind of obvious how much you care about him. It makes sense you'd want to stay close."

She said it so easily, and Lucy's mouth dropped open in shock. "What? What do you mean I care about him?"

Levy rolled her eyes, throwing her hands in the air. "Please, Lu. I know we haven't talked much the past week or so, but anyone with eyes and a working brain can see."

Lucy wriggled in her seat, feeling the weight of her friend's incredulous stare.

"I don't know," she said after a long moment. "I mean, I know that I _care_ about him. I want him to wake up, but I don't know if it's the same thing you're talking about." When Levy went to object, Lucy cut her off. "But I guess it would be stupid to keep lying to myself. I do feel…connected to him. I never thought about it until the party. He was all alone, and I remembered how I used to feel that way. I didn't want anyone to go through that. When I asked him to dance, I didn't think he'd actually agree, but he did. And it was nice. He was nice. I thought that we could be friends."

"And?" Levy asked.

Lucy stuttered a laugh. Levy was too intuitive for her own good.

"And then he had to go play the hero, and I was terrified. I don't think I've ever been that scared in my life. I don't know what came over me, but I had to be close to him, even if Freed and Bickslow almost bit my head off. It's so strange."

"It doesn't sound so strange to me," Levy said, and her eyes were kind. "Sometimes it works that way."

"But I don't even know him! He's been unconscious this whole time, and I've said so many things. When he wakes up, he won't remember any of them, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time. I just didn't want him to be alone. I wanted him to know that there was someone else to know what it feels like to be abandoned and to not feel good enough for the people who are supposed to love you. I saw a little of myself in him." She tucked her hair behind an ear. "I told my team that today and they laughed at me. I guess me and Laxus having anything in common is a pretty funny thought."

"No offense, Lucy, but your team is full of idiots," Levy quipped. "Natsu's emotional IQ is in the negatives, and Gray and Erza are too bogged down with their own lives to pay attention to anyone else's." Grabbing a cookie of her own, she chomped down, chewing daintily before continuing. She pointed the last half of her cookie at Lucy. "Don't listen to anything they say. It makes perfect sense that you'd feel that way. You guys have gone through a lot of the same things. No offense, but neither of your dads are going to be up for father of the year awards anytime soon. That's a big common factor by itself. You both also tend to take blame upon yourselves. And not talk to anyone about it," she joked, throwing another bit of cookie at Lucy.

"I'm talking to you now, aren't I?" Lucy glared, popping the thrown cookie into her mouth, not bothering to chew with her mouth closed.

"And frankly, I'm shocked."

Levy squawked when a pillow hit her square in the face. The conversation was abandoned in favor of waging pillow war, but as she laughed with Levy, Lucy felt lighter than she had in days.

* * *

The next day, she and Levy headed to the guild, and after an encouraging smile, Levy left her at the entrance to the infirmary. With a deep breath, Lucy pushed open the door.

The Thunder Legion was already there, sitting so close together they looked more like a pile of mismatched limbs than three separate people. At the squeaking of the door, their heads snapped in her direction.

"Sorry, guys. I can leave if you want more time with him," she said, not wanting to intrude. As close as they were to Laxus, it felt rude to interrupt their privacy.

"Nah, it's alright," Bickslow said, standing up and sending Freed to the floor in the process. Evergreen helped him up, and he dusted off his coat.

"It's almost time for lunch," Freed said, "and Laxus would not be pleased to know we were neglecting ourselves while he is incapacitated."

"Please. He'd have our asses for how pathetic we've been regardless of whether we skip a few meals." Bickslow's eyes were hidden behind his signature visor, but Lucy was almost certain that he was rolling them.

They filed past her, and Evergreen gave her a pat on the shoulder as she went, but Lucy saw that she too had dark circles under her eyes. Her heart ached for her.

She made her way across the room to where Laxus lay, still and quiet as ever. In all the time Lucy had known him, before this week, she could never have imagined him this way. Laxus had an undeniable presence, even when he said nothing. It was disquieting every time she sat with him, half expecting him to have a snarky comment at the ready, only to be let down every time.

He still lay on his back, the covers drawn up beneath his arm, but markings from the serket venom were more faded. Their only remnants were vague, bruise-like trails curling around his wrists and neck. She was happy to see that Wendy's periodic healing sessions had prevented him from becoming gaunt and sallow over the days without food. It was hard enough to watch him as it was. As it was, the only indicator of his continued unconsciousness was the blonde scruff on his face two shades darker than the hair on his head.

"Hey, Laxus," she greeted, placing one of her hands over his and offering a gentle squeeze. "Sorry I'm late today. I had Levy over for a sleepover last night. I've been so busy recently that I feel like I've let some of my other friendships fall by the wayside."

"Not that I regret spending time with you, or anything," she said in a rush, realizing how her previous words must've sounded. Her face heated up in embarrassment. "I like visiting you a lot. It probably sounds crazy, but even though you can't respond to anything I say, I feel like you're my friend, too, and I don't want you to ever feel alone. At least not if I get a say in it."

She raised his hand up to rest her forehead against it.

"I had a good time last night, though. Levy definitely has some strong opinions, but she was a big help. I don't know what I'd do without her. She convinced me I wasn't completely crazy for feeling so connected to you."

Sighing, she set his hand down, opting to trace the distorted patters on the back of his hand.

"I remember when you fought your father in the Games, and it reminded me of my own dad. When he sent Phantom Lord after everyone, I would've given anything to have been able to do what you did. But at the same time, it must've been hard, no matter how much animosity there is between you. I'm glad we both have Fairy Tail to come back to, though. It's been the family that I've always wanted." Lucy smiled, ducking her head.

"Come to think of it, I never thanked you for what you did. Maybe this should wait until you can actually hear me, but thank you for taking care of Flare for me. It meant a lot, and I'm sorry it took me so long to say so."

She looked at him then, and felt a pit in her stomach. Would she ever get the chance to tell him in person? Would he even want to hear it if she did? She hoped so. Reaching out, she stroked his cheek with the back of her hand.

"You know, the rugged look suits you. You should consider growing a beard for real."

Without pausing to think, she leaned forward to brush a kiss against his cheek. His skin was warm and the stubble tickled her lips. She stifled a giggle at the strange feeling.

A deep inhale beneath her froze the laugh in her throat.

She jumped back, sending the chair she'd been sitting in skidding back. Laxus groaned, one of his hands coming up to scrub at his face, his heavy brows scrunching together against the light in the room.

Elation, shock, and panic warred in Lucy's mind as she watched him struggle into consciousness. She wanted more than anything to stay, to watch him open his eyes and smile at her. Then, with a jolt, she realized that he wouldn't remember anything that'd happened over the past week. For Laxus, he'd be waking up to what might as well be a stranger. They weren't _friends_. They weren't anything. Where did she get off claiming this moment for herself?

Without daring to even breathe, Lucy fought back the wave of despair that bubbled in her stomach. She'd deal with it later. For now, she'd do the best thing she could do for Laxus.

She ran.

* * *

**A/N: **Lucy is going through it, man. I promise these two will eventually talk, but today is not that day!

Much love to you all!


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